Apparatus for and methods of molding frozen comestibles



Jan. 26, 1943. B. H. MOORE 2,309,133-

APPARATUS FOR AND METHODS OF MOLDING FROZEN COMESTIBLES Filed Aug. '7,1940 1 g x I n INVENTOR. BARTRAM H. Mame:

Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES 1*? OFFICE APPARATUS FOR ANDMETHODS OF MOLD- ING FROZEN COMESTIBLES My invention is an improvedapparatus and method for molding, from ice cream or other frozencomestible, a hollow brick or shell, with perfect end surfaces, directlyin a vendible carton having a closure at one end and at the other end anopen mouth adapted to be capped with a detachable closure.

The cavity or recess formed in the brick has an open mouth at the openend of the carton so that a comestible filler, such as contrasting icecream, ice sherbet, nuts or fruits, may be poured into the hollow shellat the same end of the carton into which was poured the frozencomestible forming the shell.

My invention obviates any need to invert the carton for the introductionof either the outer layer or the filler of the brick. The compositebrick may be marketed to the consumer in the original carton in which itwas moulded without the handling and waste incident to the presentpractice of initially forming a hollow shell in an inverted open endedmetal casing and subsequently transferring such shell to a paper carton.

In accordance with my invention, a paper carton of usual type andpreferably having a permanently closed end, is partially filled with asoft or partially frozen comestible. There is then inserted in thefictile comestible a chilled hollow mold-core having a closed bottom anda displacement such that its insertion causes the level of the contentsof the carton to rise to the top thereof and against the under surfaceof a mold disk surrounding the top of the core and adapted totemporarily cap the carton. disk contains vents for the egress of airand excess comestible and is surrounded by a rim forming a collar, whichengages the periphery of the carton, and an annular lip projecting abovethe disk and forming therewith a basin preventing any overflow onto theexterior surface of the carton.

The carton thus filled and capped is placed in a refrigerant orhardening room until the contents are frozen hard and frost-bonded tothe metal surfaces of the mold members in contact therewith. Thefreezing generally results in fur- .ther expansion of the comestible andextrusion of portions thereof through the disk vents. To loosen thefrost-bond between the mold and frozen shell, water may be flowed overthe exposed surfaces of basin and core without marring the outer surfaceof the carton. The mold may then be readily turned relatively to thecarton to cut off any lumps projecting through the Such vents and permitthe mold to be withdrawn from the carton without marring of the surfaceof the comestible.

The cavity left in the brick may be filled with any desired filler,which may, if desired, be frozen in place to facilitate slicing andserving of the composite brick.

The characteristic features and advantages of my improvements willfurther appear from the following description and the accompanyingdrawing in illustration thereof.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away,showing my improved mold partially displacing the fictile contents of acarton; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing my improved mold ina carton and taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a top planview, with parts broken away, of the mold and carton shown in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, soft icecream I is poured directly from a freezer into a usual type ofcylindrical carton 2 which may be lined with a removable wax paperliner, if desired. When the carton has been partially filled, thesemi-solid mix therein is partially displaced by the insertion of aninner mold-core of any desired shape or cross section and consisting inthe embodiment illustrated of a hollow tube 3 having its bottom endclosed by a disk 4. The open upper end of the tube is surrounded by adisk 5 which may be formed integrally therewith or attached thereto bysoldering, welding, or the like. The disk 5 contains apertures or vents6 and is surrounded by a rim forming a lip 'l projecting wardly abovethe disk 5 and a collar 8 projecting downwardly from the disk 5 andclosely encircling the top of the periphery of the carton 2. Preferablythe tube 3 is substantially the length of the chamber of the carton, butthe tube may be made of lesser length when it is desired that the bottomof the recess formed by the tube be closed by a wall of ice cream ofsubstantial thickness.

Preferably the carton Was initially filled so full that the volume ofthe open space remaining therein approximated the volume or displacementof the tube 3, so that when the tube is fully inserted in the carton andthe collar 8 is telescoped over the exterior surface of the carton, thecontents of the carton are caused to rise sufficiently to engage theinner face of the disk 5; any excess being extruded through the vents 6.After the contents of the carton are well frozen, water is poured in thebasin and well formed by the lip 1, disk 5 and tube 3 to break the frostbond between the frozen contents and the metal surfaces in contacttherewith. This permits the mold to be turned to shear off therivet-like extrusions projected through the vents during the filling orhardening operations so that the mold may be removed and the end surfaceof the frozen shell is smooth and perfect.

The cavity left in the shell by the removal of the tube 3 may be whollyor partially filled with any desired filler. If the cavity is onlypartially filled with a contrasting filler, its upper end may be pluggedwith a comestible similar to the shell. The carton may then be cappedwith a usual type of flanged closure and marketed after or withouthardening of the filler in a refrigerant or hardening room.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a mold having a coresurrounded at one end by a vented closure member having a peripheral lipforming therewith a basin communicating with the interior of said coreand said basin communicating with the interior of the mold through thevent in said closure.

2. A device of the character described comprising a hollow core closedat one end and having at the opposite end thereof a disk provided with aperimetral rim forming a lip and collar extending in opposite directionsfrom said disk and substantially coaxial with the axis of said core.

3. A device of the character described comprising a hollow core closedat one end and adapted for immersion in a fluid comestible to displace aportion thereof, a disk surrounding the other and open end of said coreand containing a vent between the periphery of said core and theperiphery of said disks for the egress through said vent of fiuidcomestible displaced by said core between the periphery of said core andthe periphery of said disk.

4. The combination with a vendible paper carton having a closed bottomand an open top, of a device having a hollow core projecting into saidcarton and surrounded at one end by an apertured disk having aperipheral rim forming a collar fitting said carton and a lip projectingabove said disk and forming therewith a basin communicating with theinterior of said core through the open top thereof and communicatingthrough the apertures of said disk with the interior of said cartonbetween the wall of said core and the Wall of said carton.

5. The method of forming a comestible hollow shell which comprisesconfining the bulk of the area of inner and outer surfaces of a hollowmass of a fluid comestible whose volume is expansible by chilling andleaving small spaced areas of a surface of said mass unconfined,extruding a portion of the mass at the unconfined portions of thesurface thereof by chilling said mass until it expands its volume, andshearing said extrusions from said mass.

BARTRAM H. MOORE.

